In America, with all its evils and faults, you can still reach through the forest and see the sun. But we do not know yet whether the sun is rising or setting for our country.

Gregory juxtaposes America’s “evils and faults” with a persistent, if obstructed, visibility of hope and possibility—“reach through the forest and see the sun.” The “forest” suggests systemic barriers (racism, poverty, political violence) that block clear vision, yet do not wholly extinguish the prospect of change. The closing uncertainty—whether the sun is “rising or setting”—turns the image into a moral and civic question: the nation’s trajectory is not predetermined. Progress can reverse; optimism must be paired with vigilance and action. The line captures Gregory’s characteristic blend of critique and guarded faith in democratic renewal.